Happy New Year ! Here's hoping this new year will be an improvement over the last. Whatever happens on Earth, there's a lot going in in the sky in 2022 including two lunar eclipses, a few good meteor showers (including one this month), a parade of planets in the morning and evening skies, and of course thousands of deep-sky delights to see with a small telescope. Let's get to it - here's what I've got for you in this month's Night Sky Newsletter...

 

1. First, your monthly guide to the Night Sky This Month.

 

2. Since it's off the newsstands, I can share a PDF of my latest article for Sky & Telescope magazine - "Small Scope Winter" - which has a couple of dozen deep-sky vistas to keep you busy with your telescope during the long winter nights. Access the article and companion video at this link.

 

3. Comet Leonard has been an elusive object for visual observers. But imagers are having a great time with this long-tailed snowball from the outer solar system. My colleaugue Terry Hancock captured a particularly spectacular image of the comet, a star cluster, and a bright and complex meteor trail that passed through the imaging field by sheer good luck. A once-in-a-lifetime shot.

 

4. I am continually amazed at the quality of planetary images captured by skilled amateur astronomers. This new video by Damian Peach, possibly the best planetary imager on earth, shows the spectacularly detailed face of Mars he captured through the past year.

 

5. Huzzah - the James Webb Space Telescope is on its way! It has many challenging maneuvers ahead in the coming months before it becomes operational. But it's an incredible feat of engineering. Here are 10 truly amazing facts about this immense astronomical instrument.

 

6. The short and snappy 'Everything, Everywhere' podcast summarizes the search for 'Planet 9', a hypothetical large but elusive planet in the distant reaches of the solar system.

 

7. At the B&H Photo Video podcast, an interview with the venerated astrophotography Dr. Robert Gendler.

 

8. Astronomy writer Timothy Ferris presents another short instalment of his 'Rocky Hill Lectures', this one on the subject of progress: what it is, whether humankind is making it, and how your view of progress is influenced by how you see the world. See it here.

 

9. A spacecraft touches the Sun.

 

10. And finally, a long but fascinating article by a granddaughter about her grandmother who just happened to be one of the great experimental physicists of the 20th century. Here's a gift link to the article at the Washington Post.

 

 

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Clear Skies!

 

Brian Ventrudo

Publisher